Police say man stole prison gas

MARCY - A Durhamville man has been charged for stealing gasoline from a state prison.

On Monday, State Police arrested Robert B. Crouse, 54, of Durhamville, and charged him with petty larceny and official misconduct.

Crouse, the civilian plant superintendent, was in charge of building and ground maintenance at Marcy Correctional Facility. He is accused of stealing state gasoline at nearby Midstate Correctional Facility for his personal use. Police say Crouse repeatedly used a gas key and three five-gallon containers to steal gas from the state pumps.

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Police say Crouse hauled the containers to his home using his personal vehicle. It is unknown what Crouse did with the gas.

Police are still investigating the case and did not have an estimate of how much gas was taken or for how long the alleged thefts went on.

According to the state Department of Corrections, Crouse has worked at various facilities since he was hired in 1984. He has worked at Marcy Correctional facility since May of 2008.

His annual salary is $75,862.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Crouse remained on the payroll and was using vacation accruals for time off.

He is scheduled to appear in Marcy Town Court on Jan. 22.

His arrest was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the state Department of Corrections, Community Supervision Inspector General's Office and the New York State Police.